What are the best loudspeakers under $4000 to re-create lifelike piano


Over the past 4 months I've spent time with five loudspeakers.  On a scale of 1-10 I'd rate them as follows in their ability (with my equipment in my room) to recreate a lifelike piano.  Tekton Lore - 6.5 (great scale but tonal accuracy and clarity somewhat lacking),    Kef LS50 - 7.0 (moderate scale but slightly better clarity and tonal accuracy)  Kef R500 - 8.0  (great scale and very good clarity and tonal accuracy), Spatial Audio M3TurboS -8.1 (great scale and very good clarity and tonal accuracy and very smooth)  Magnepan 1.7i - 9.0 (very good scale with excellent clarity and tonal accuracy - very lifelike).

In your room with your equipment, what loudspeakers are you listening too and how would you rate them for their ability to recreate a lifelife piano and if possible a few comments as to why?
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Showing 2 responses by kalali

One important factor not explicitly mentioned is the ability of the speakers to create a realistic size of the piano according to the type of the music and the venue. In my experience, the larger panel speakers completely miss this criteria regardless of how well they might reproduce the timber or tone. To my ears, the closest sound (and size) to a real piano, especially jazz genre, came out of a pair of full range single driver Lowthers in a horn-loaded enclosure, the Charney Audio Concerto. May not go low enough for some western classical piano pieces but for jazz or blues the best I've heard. 

Ohm seems to have  a regular presence at the NY Audio show but they tend to use their smaller models and pair them with average quality electronics. I think their theme was you can get real good sound at moderate prices. As a soundstage junkie, their sound is too diffused for my taste. Might be room set up or electronics. Nice tone and texture,